Airplane wheel incorporating a lowpressure fluid motor



Feb. 10, 1948. A. H. GREIJBEL 7 AIRPLANE WHEEL INCORPORATING A LOW-PRESSURE FLUID MOTOR Filed Sept. 27,-1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 [5/ qI J /7 mg I v 5 Feb. 10, 1948. A. H. GREUBEL I AIRPLANE WHEEL INCORPIORIATING A LOW-PRESSURE nun) MOTOR Filed Sept. 27, 1943 2 Shets-Sheet 2v flL FRED Glen/65.

Patented Feb. 10, 1948 AIRPLANE WHEEL INCORPORATING A LOW- PRESSURE FLUID MOTOR Alfred H. Greubel, Affton, Mo; assi gnor' to Z B Inc., St. Louis, M0,, a corporation of Missouri Application September 27, 1943, Serial No. 503,933

- upon the landing surface. This results in a substantial wear each time the lane lands, upon the tread of the pneumatic tires of the landing wheels. This undue and wasteful wear can to a large degree be avoided, by imparting towheels prior to landing a rotation at a speed sufficient, in order that the peripheral speed thereof will approximate ground or landing speedof the plane at the time the landing is made.

One of the primary objects of the present invention is to provide a simplified construction for the purpose of imparting a controlled initial rotation to the landing wheels prior to making ground contact, that may be built into the landing gear structure, and which may be operated, under accurate control, from the available power plant of the airplane.

A'more specific object is to provide for each landing wheel a stator and a rotor member in which is incorporated a motor operated by vacuum generated by the intake engine or motor of the airplane power plant, whereby'this power source may be utilized during landing to rotate the landing wheels.

Another object is'to provide an eflicient and simplified ower unit that may be incorporated in the usual landing gear construction without radical change in design, and which will not materially increase the weight thereof, and which may be employed without any additional operating power equipment.-

Additionaldetailed advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is aside view of the wheel structure;

6 Claims. (01. 244-103) Fig.6 is a vertical section substantially on the line 66 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a detailed end view of one of the vanes of the operating means for the wheel;

Fig. 8 is a side view of thesame; and

Fig. 9 is an end view .partially in section of th stator member on the vacuum motor constituting the operating means for the wheel structure.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, 1 have disclosed only one Wheel structure, whichit will be understood is duplicated in the landing gear of the airplane to provide the usual number of landing wheels employed in standard constructions.

The structure of the invention includes a shaft 1, which is mounted in any standard element of the landing gear, for example in a wheel fork (not shown) which, in turn, is suitably supported in the frame worlg of the airplane. This shaft is nonrotatable and carries a cylindrical member, shownin detail in Fig. 9, and consisting of the cylindrical body 2 having a central bore 3 that In the periphery of the member 2, are formed a, series of channels 5 that extend transversely across the body '2 and the side faces thereof. The channels 5 are disposed at right angles to each other. It will be understood that the construction described constitutes a rigid nonrotatable stator member in which a series of vanes 6 are seated,said vanes comprising substantial rectangular blades; preferably of Bakelite or similar material. Each vane is provided with a transverse groove 1 extendin substantially midway of the length of the vane from the top to the bottom edge thereof.

The channels 5 do not extend the entire depth from the periphery of the body 2 to the central bore 3, so that, in effect, they constitute recesses trated in Figs, 5 and 6.

Expansion springs 8 are interposed between the bottom wall of the channels 5, and the lower edge of each vane, the said springs being preferably arranged so that a pair of springs is provided for each vane, and the said springs being spaced apart so that they contact the respective vanes near each extremity thereof, as is clearly illustrated in Fig. 4, Obviously, the tendency of the springs is to press the vanes outwardly beyond the periphery of the body 2.

The shaft I has a centralbore 9 that extends inwardly from ne end of the shaft to a' point beyond the intermediate length thereof, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. This bore constitutes a conduit, the external end of which is connected with a flexible conduit ID by fitting II. The conduit I is in communication with a manifold (not shown) which, in turn, connects with the intake of the several engines of the power plant of the airplane.

Near the inner endof the bore'itfare a series of transverse passages 12 arrangd atright angles to each other and communicating, respectively, with openings 13 formed so that they extend inwardly from the bore 3 of the body. 2,..and communicate with the bottom of the chanrilsi is'ubstantially intermediate of their length, sothat the passageways l2 and l3provide communica tion from the conduit 9 into the passage formed by the grooves I in the vanes B. The parts just described form a continuousrconduitor passageway from the flexible conduit l0 through to the periphery of the body 2, behind each vane to provide a vacuum pull-(within said passageway.

flA' rotor in the form-of a'rhollow cylindrical body, I 4 is arranged for rotatiominsrespect of the :body' 2. .Theimem-ber l 4 hasiitsinternal surfaces formed to provide .spaced concavechambers l5, that are struckonc'radii so thatthe spacing. of isaid chambers I 5,.in' relation 'to'the Varies i6, is such that the vanesrcoact with' a plurality of said chambers 'tor'separate them into compartments. =As. clearly illustrated in? Figs:.5 and*6,ithe-riumber .of chambers l 5' are in excess sof' the number of vanes so thatgwhen the member" is assembled "with the member'2,':a'- plurality 0f"the'vanes will 'be "in r cooperative -relationship slwith the chambers l5, whereby any dea'dcenter a'djustment will be avoided and mo're than one of the chambers 1'5 :willbe active.

The ends of the chambers" l5 are closed by end :platesl d'in the 'form of ring structures. The endp'lates" it are operativel connectedwith'the .member M bytie rods l1"thatclamp'the end plates l6 in place. "The member lrandtheend pl-ates liirotate asa unit on theshaft' l, '-and,"in "order to reduce the friction, anti-friction devices are interposed between the inner periphery of the ring structure of the end plates'l6, and the "periphery of the'shaft'l. 'As'illu'stratedin'the =drawings, these anti friction devices cornprise I roller bearings I 8 locatedasillustrated in' Fig. '4

-.i'0 difierential causes the rotation of the member I4 on opposite sides of the'rotor 'structure-thatincl'u'des the member l4 an'd the end plates *IBJRet'aining rings I 9 for the -roller bearings 5 l8 may 'beemployed, if desired, aS iIIuStrated particularly in'Fig. 4, saidretairlingrings being held in place by screws '20.

Each of the-rings 16 maybe provided "with "outwardly extending flanges-"2| constituting supports for the spoke structureil of the wheel, said spokestructure being releasablysecured to the flanges by screws '23. 'Ih'e s'poke structure supports-atits'outer eXtremity-a' tire rim'za upon which a pneumatic-tire 25 :is mounted.

Each of the chambers l5'at i'ts forward 'end'is 'vented' to atmosphereisyapassagewa '2 6"formed throughoneoffthe'platesFIB a n'd i ntothe adjacent edge of "the wall forming the respective chambers I 5, 'the'vent preferablyfbeing located as clearly illustrated inFigsJ3 and 4, at theforward *edge o'f'each chamber [5.

Operation Priorto' the'landing ofthe ai1fplane,-"-a vacuum 'cating'the conduit with theirltake of the "engine "or engines comprising -the power -plant of the f plane. Inasmuch astlieconduit i I 0 throughthe passageways described, is in communication with the compartment in the chambers I 5 on the trailing faces of the respective vane 6, a vacuum will be established in such compartment. Inasmuch as the opposite side of each of the vanes forms a compartment that is vented to atmos- "phere;1the pressure thereinwi'llbe relatively high in= r'espect' ofthe pressure in'- the compartment on the trailing faces of the vane. This pressure and the side plates lfi associated therewith (in the$direction'of thearrow in Fig. 1), and thereby a'rotation of the wheel structure that is supported by said plates 16.

"-Thespeedyof rotation can be controlled by throttling or the communication with the engine .intakaso that-thedifierential pressure between the compartments formed in the chambers I5 by the co'operation of the vanes 6, may be regulated. The power generated by the vacuum produced,

as described, will' be sufficient to overcome the inertia 6f the la'nding wheels, a'nd"to; givethem a speed of rotation that maybe regulated by the operator, so thatit will' approximate the ground speed of the'plane when contact with the wheels ofthe landinggear is made with the runway or ground surface. I v

The obvious advantages of "the construction will beplain from -the "descripti0n,"an'd itwill be "appreciated thatfthe structureds one that may "be I readily incorporated as 'a part 'of the standard landing gear on airplanes,' and, thatby "utilizing the vacuum created by the engine intake only during" the period oflanding," the efliciency of the power plant or the-airplane will-n'ot be impaired.

'I amaware that the invention maybe-modified in numerousparticulars without departing from the spirit and sc'opeof the invention. 7

What I-:claim and 'desire to'secureby Letters Patent is 1. -'In an airplafieflanding gear having 'i'evoluble landing w'neeis, -a"f1uid motor adapted to supply power to *rotate "said "wheels when free from ground friction-said motor comprising a stator member adapted to "constitute the axle of a wheel "landing wheelsga fluid-motor comprising af stator memberfforminga rigid axle support for F the 'whe,el-structure,- a rotor member-adapted to serve as the hub of the wheel structure, 'arid having a plurality of "concave spaced peripheryffchamhers,*inenibers =closing the ends offsaid chambers to s'eal the-samej-aseries or vanes slidably-mourited in the periphery of said stator the number of said t ai'ies"being'an odd numberinfre'sp'ect of the number of said chambers, meansfor; actuating said vanes outwardlyiromthe periphery of said stator to contact thefouter endsthereo f resiliently a-g ainst the concave walls of said chambers, and me ns for 'establishinga di'fieren- 'tial pressure on opposite sides "of said vanes to rotate said rotor. H r g s 4 A 3. In an airplane landing gear having revoluble landing wheels, a fluid motor comprising astator member forming a rigid axle support for the wheel structure, a rotor member adapted to serve as the hub of the wheel structure, and having a plurality of concave spaced periphery chambers, members closing the ends of said chambers to seal the same, anti-friction devices between said rotor and said stator, a series of vanes slidably mounted in the periphery of said stator the number of said vanes being an odd number in respect of the number of said chambers, means for actuating said vanes outwardly from the periphery of said stator to contact the outer ends thereof resiliently against the concave walls of said chambers, and means for establishing a differential pressure on opposite sides of said vanes to rotate said rotor.

4. A fluid motor adapted to constitute the power unit of a wheel structure, comprising a cylindrical stator member adapted to constitute the axle of the wheel structure and having a plurality of transverse recesses extending from the periphery thereof radially inwardly and terminating a distance from the axis thereof, sliding plates constituting vanes slidably mounted in said recesses, means for actuating said plates outwardly, a cylindrical rotor member mounted over the periphery of said stator member said rotor member having a series of spaced convex chambers formed in the periphery thereof, means for sealing the side faces of said rotor member, a conduit in communication with the chambers formed in said rot-or member for establishing a. differential pressure on opposite sides of said vanes, and means for controlling said conduit whereby one or more of said chambers will be in communication therewith irrespective of the relative position of said motor and said stator.

5. In combination, airplane landing wheel construction comprising a shaft nonr-otatably supported, a vacuum actuated motor mounted on said shaft, said motor including a stator secured to the shaft against rotation having a plurality of vanes biased outwardly, a rotor surrounding said stator and having bearing support on said I shaft, a landing wheel supported by said rotor,

means for establishing said vacuum at the desire.

of an operator.

6. In combination, airplane landing wheel construction comprising a hollow shaft nonrotatably supported, a vacuum actuated motor mounted on said shaft, said motor including a stator secured to the shaft against rotation having a plurality of vanes biased outwardly, a rotor surrounding said stator and having bearing support on said shaft, a landing wheel supported by said rotor, said rotor including an inner surface having spaced concave indentations and defining with the periphery of the stator a plurality of chambers, said outwardly biased vanes contacting the said inner surface of said rotor, means for establishing a vacuum on one side of each of said vanes by the engine of the airplane including a vacuum drawing line from the engine to said hollow shaft and passageways through the Wall of said shaft, through the stator, and along one face of said vanes, means venting the chambers to atmosphere, and control means for establishing said vacuum at the desire of an operator.

ALFRED H. GREUBEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent;

' UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,335,398 Downey Nov. 30, 1943 868,841 Calkins Oct. 22, 1907 1,322,107 Gressle Nov. 18, 1919 1,895,452 Dormoy Jan. 31, 1933 Rush Mar. 26, 1912 

